Blow-molded pump-type dispenser

ABSTRACT

An element that can be incorporated into the side of a blowmolded bottle when the latter is blow molded, the element defining with the bottle a tube through which fluid in the bottle can be pumped to the exterior. The element includes a plate portion having two apertures, and two channel portions extending from the plate portion. The walls of each channel portion extend over the plate portion to enclose the apertures, respectively. A pump is included and is positioned against the plate portion to pump the fluid from one aperture to another and thus from one channel portion to another.

United States Patent Humphrey 5] Mar. 14, 1972 [54] BLOW-MOLDEDPUMP-TYPE [56] References Cited DISPENSER UNITED STATES PATENTS [721Frederick 7 Orchard 3,486,663 12/1969 Humphrey ..222/207 Street, MarkhamOmar"), Canada 3,561,648 2/1971 Humphrey ..222/2o7 PrimaryExaminer-Robert B. Reeves [22] Filed 1970 Assistant ExaminerJohn P.Shannon, Jr. [21] Appl. N0.: 77,415 Attorney-Sim&McBurney [57] ABSTRACTRemed Appucamm Dam An element that can be incorporated into the side ofa blowmolded bottle when the latter is blow molded, the element definingwith the bottle a tube through which fluid in the bot- [62] 5 2 9 1? May1969 tle can be pumped to the exterior. The element includes a plateportion having two apertures, and two channel portions extending fromthe plate portion. The walls of each channel portion extend over theplate portion to enclose the apertures, [52] US. Cl ..222/207respectively. A pump is included and is positioned against the [51] Int.Cl ..B65d 37/00 plate portion to pump the fluid from one aperture toanother [58] Field of Search ..222/209, 372, 383, 207 and thus from onechannel portion to another.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BLOW-MOLDED PUMP-TYPE DISPENSER Thisapplication is a division of application Ser. No. 821,829,146 filed May5, 1969 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,949.

This invention relates generally to blow-molding techniques for themanufacture of plastic containers. More specifically, this invention hasto do with an improvement in blow-molding techniques, by which it ispossible to incorporate a tubular element into a wall of the blow-moldedcontainer at the time of blow-molding. This invention is also related tothe incorporation of a tubular element and a pumping element into thewall of a blow-molded container, the tube having a nozzle through whichthe contents of the container can be pumped.

Many containers of different shapes and sizes are presently available,almost all of which are blow molded in the conventional manner. When thecontents of the container are intended for certain purposes such aswindow spraying, liquid waxing, etc., it is desirable for the containerto be equipped with a spray-nozzle and a simple pumping mechanism bywhich the liquid contents can be sprayed through the nozzle.Conventionally, the pumping apparatus and the nozzlehave beenincorporated into the cap of the container, and most such conventionalspray mechanisms involve a large number of separate components,including springs, ball valves, gaskets, etc.

Aside from the obvious disadvantage of the high costs involved in theprovision of such a complicated pumping mechanism, there is the furtherdisadvantage, thus far ignored by manufacturers, that a containerequipped with a pump and nozzle mechanism incorporated in its cap makesit difficult for the user to merely pour the contents from the mouth ofthe bottle, should this be desirable. In other words, liquid containersare equipped either with a simple cap-type closure which can be removedto permit the contents to be poured out, or with a complicatedpump-nozzle closure which permits the contents to be sprayed but whichmakes it undesirable to remove the cap for pouring because of the longliquid drawtube which extends to the bottom of the bottle and which isalways incorporated in such closures. It is, of course, possible toremove the pump-nozzle cap, but some of the liquid in the containeralways clings to, or is contained within, the liquid draw-tube, and as aresult the handling of the removed pumpnozzle closure means can bemessy.

From a versatility point of view, then, present-day liquid containerssuffer from the restrictions imposed by the fact that they have only onopening, and that this opening must be closed either by a simplecap-closure or a closure which incorporates a pump and spray-nozzle.

One object of this invention is to provide a method by which a tubularpassageway can be incorporated into the wall of a blow-molded container.

A further object of a particular embodiment of this invention is toprovide a method by which a combination member involving a tube, a pumpand a nozzle can be incorporated into the wall of a blow-moldedcontainer at the time of mold- Yet a further object of this invention isto provide a manufactured item which can be fitted against the innerwall of a molding cavity, such that a container blow molded against theitem will combine with the latter to produce a tubular passageway.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combination ofmanufactured items which can be fitted together and placed within thecavity of a mold against one wall thereof, the construction of the partsbeing such that, when a container is blow molded against the wall of themold, the wall of the ultimate container has incorporated within it atube, a pump and a nozzle.

Accordingly, this invention provides a method of incorporating a tubeinto a plastic wall which is blow molded against a mold surface, saidmethod comprising the steps: providing an elongated, channel-definingelement of a material fusible with the plastic wall upon contact whenthe material of the plastic wall is in a state suitable for blowmolding, positioning said channel-defining element against said moldsurface with the channel opening away from the mold surface, and blowmolding said plastic wall against said mold surface over saidchannel-defining element, such that the plastic wall fuses with andcloses in the channel-defining element to form therewith a tube.

This invention also provides, for incorporation into a blowmoldedbottle, thecombination of: an integral channel-defining portion eachextending away from the plate portion and each having a base and twooutstanding spaced-apart ridges, the bases of the channel-definingportions joining the plate portion, the ridges of the firstchannel-defining portion extending across the plate portion to encloseone aperture, the ridges of the second channel-defining portionextending across the plate portion to enclose the other aperture, and apump adapted to be positioned against the plate portion remote from saidridges and to pump fluid from said other aperture to said one aperture.

One embodiment of this invention is shown in the accom' panyingdrawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout theseveral views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the three components of aninsert adapted to be positioned against the wall of a mold cavity;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of two halves of a mold adapted forblow molding a container;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a container incorporating the elementsof this invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken at the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 5-5 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of part of one of the insert components.

Attention is directed first to FIG. 1, which shows the three componentsof the pump-tube-nozzle arrangement adapted to be incorporated into thewall of a plastic container. In FIG. 1,

an integral channel-defining element 10 comprises a plate portion 12having two spaced-apart apertures 13 and 14 passing through it. Integralwith the plate portion 12 is a first channeldefining portion 16, and asecond channel-defining portion 18. The first and secondchannel-defining portions 16 and 18 extend away from the plate portion12 in opposite directions. Each of the channel-defining portions has abase 20 and two outstanding space-apart ridges 22 and 23. In FIG. 1,only the nearer ridge 22 can be seen. In FIG. 5, however, both ridges 22and 23 are visible in cross section. At its upper end, the firstchannel-defining portion 16 integrally incorporates a projection 24having a groove 25 which communicates with a port 25a (see FIG. 4)opening through the base 16 to a point located between the two ridges 22and 23. As is partly shown in FIG. 1, the ridges 22 and 23 at the upperend of the first channel-defining portion 16 loop around and join oneanother to define a closed end channel. The ridges 22 and 23 of thefirst channel-defining portion 16 extend inwardly across the back of theplate portion 12 and enclose the aperture 14, as seen in FIG. 6.Likewise, the ridges 22 and 23 of the second channel-defining portionextend inwardly across the back of the plate portion 12 to enclose theaperture 13.

The numeral 26 denotes an integral elastomeric pump of the kind shownand described in copending U.S. application No. 764,685, filed July 17,l968 in the name of Frederick Harold Humphrey and entitled ElastomericPump and Check-Valve. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the pump 26 includes aupstanding, flexible portion 28 defining in part a compartment 30.Extending outwardly from the portion 28 are two skirt portions 32 and33, the skirt portion 32 in part defining a compartment 35, and theskirt portion 33 in part defining a compartment 36. As can be seenparticularly in FIG. 4, the compartment 35 is in communication withaperture 14, while the compartment 36 is in communication with aperture13. The skirt portions 32 and 33, together with the upstanding portion28 of the pump 26, define a generally elliptical outline, although thisis not essential to the invention. The skirt portions 32 and 33 includeside walls 34, around the periphery of which outwardly extends a rim 36.The rim is adapted to be compressed against the plate portion 12 by theshroud 38, shortly to be described.

Again referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that compartments 30 and 35are separated by a partition 40 which defines an acute angle with thesurface 41 of the plate portion 12 within the compartment 30. Likewise,the compartments 30 and 36 are separated by a partition 43 which definesan acute angle with the surface 41 of the plate portion 12 within thecompartment 36. The partitions 40 and 43 are of resilient materialintegral with the rest of the pump 26, and each has a substantiallyrectilinear edge which is adapted to rest resiliently against thesurface 41 of the plate portion 12. Because of the oblique relationshipbetween the partitions and the surface 41, it will be appreciated that,for example, fluid is able to pass from the compartment 30 to thecompartment 35 beneath the edge of the partition 40 provided thepressure differential i.e., the excess of pressure in compartment 30over that in compartment 35) is great enough to raise the partition 40away from the surface 41. However, should the pressure in compartment 35be in excess of that in compartment 30, the resultant force on thepartition 40 will have one component directed toward the surface 41, theeffect of which will be to urge the partition 40 more strongly againstthe surface 41, thereby tightening the seal between the edge of thepartition 40 and the surface 41. Thus, it will be appreciated that theoblique partition 40 functions as a one-way valve between compartments30 and 35.

In an exactly similar way, the partition 43 operates as a oneway valvepermitting fluid to pass from compartment 36 into compartment 30,provided the pressure differential is great enough, but preventingpassage of fluid in the other direction.

Because the upstanding portion 28, and preferably the entire pump 26, ismade of resilient material, it can be deformed in such a way as todecrease the volume of the compartment 30. This decrease of volume canbe brought about, for example, by pressing inwardly or sidewardlyagainst the top of the portion 28. As the volume of the compartment 30decreases, the pressure in the compartment rises, and with a sufficientdecrease in volume, the pressure differential across the partition 40will be great enough to overcome the natural resilient tendency of thepartition 40 to maintain its edge against the surface 41. When thishappens, fluid passes beneath the edge of the partition 40 from thecompartment 30 into the compartment 35. It will be appreciated that,because the pressure differential across the other partition 43 resultsin pressure on the partition 43 which forces its edge more tightlyagainst the surface 41, no flow will take place from the compartment 30into the compartment 36.

Since the compartment 35 is in communication with the aperture 14, thefluid entering compartment 35 from compartment 30 will be forced throughthe aperture 14.

Upon relaxation of inward or sideward pressure against the portion 28,the natural resilience of the portion 28 will tend to restore it to theposition shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. In so doing, the volume of thecompartment 30 increases, thus lowering the pressure in compartment 30to the point when the excess of pressure in compartment 36 over that incompartment 30 will cause fluid to be drawn from the former to thelatter beneath the edge of the partition 43. Of course, as fluid passesfrom compartment 36 into compartment 30, replacement fluid will be drawninto compartment 36 through the aperture 13.

Attention is again directed to FIG. 1, in which the shroud 38 is shownto include a rectangular part 45 having a central, elliptical opening 46adapted to fit snugly around the walls 34 of the pump 26. Integral withthe rectangular part 45 is a neck part 48 which is adapted to fir snuglyagainst the visible side of the base of the first channel-definingportion 16 of the channel-defining element 10. At the upper end of theneck part 48 is a closed cylinder 50, integral with the neck part 48,and having a blind recess (not shown) adapted to receive the projection24 of the channel-defining element 10. The cylinder 50 is pierced toprovide a nozzle 52 in communication with the blind recess whichreceives the projection 24. The groove 25 on the projection 24 thus actsas a channel which commu nicates the nozzle 52 through the base 20 andinto the space between the upstanding ridges 22 and 23 of the firstchanneldefining portion 16.

The rectangular part 45 has four pins 54 projecting toward the plateportion 12. Each of the pins 54 is adapted to be received in acorresponding opening 55 passing through the plate portion 12. The pins54 are of a length permitting them to pass through to the far side ofthe plate portion 12 when the rectangular part 45 of the shroud 38 isplaced against the plate portion 12.

To assemble the components of FIG. 1 together, they are merely collapsedin the relative positions in which they are shown. The pump 26 is placedagainst the visible surface of the plate portion 12 so that thecompartments 35 and 36 are in communication, respectively, withapertures 14 and 13. Next, the shroud 38 is fitted snugly around thepump 26 and pressed against the plate portion 12 so that the pins 54register in the openings 55 of the plate portion 12. As has beenindicated, the elliptical opening 46 in the shroud 38 snugly embracesthe side walls 34 of the pump 26, which, of course, requires that therectangular part 45 have a cutaway step 56 (see FIG. 4) adjacent theelliptical opening 46 in the side which is not visible in FIG. 1, inorder to accommodate the rim 36 of the pump 26. When this accommodationtakes place, the rectangular part 45 of the shroud 38 is enabled to abutfirmly the visible side of the plate portion 12. Also at the time ofassembly, the projection 24 is received in the blind recess (not shown)in the cylinder 50, and the neck part 48 of the shroud 38 abuts the base20 of the first channel-defining portion 16.

When the three components shown in FIG. 1 have been assembled in thisway, they are placed against an appropriately recessed wall 60 of a moldcavity 61 defined between two halves 62 and 63 of a mold of the kindused for blow-molding containers. Preferably, the recesses are primarilyto receive the upstanding portion 20 of the pump 26 and the cylinder 50,and thus the base 20 and the ridges 22 and 23 of both channeldefiningportions 16 and 18 project inwardly into the mold cavity 61.

The method of this invention requires that the material of which certainparts of the FIG. 1 assembly are made be fusible with the material fromwhich the container is to be blow molded, when that material is in thestate in which it is blow molded. The parts that must be fusible withthe material of the container are the ridges 22 and 23 and the pins 54.Most of the plastic containers contemplated by this invention are moldedfrom thermoplastic material which has been raised in temperature to theviscous, plastic state, and for this reason the usual procedure will beto utilize either the same thermoplastic material, or a compatible one,for the ridges 22 and 23 and for the pins 54. It is advantageous, butnot essential to this invention, to mold both the channel-definingelement 10 and the shroud 38 entirely of the same material as integralpieces, this being preferable from a cost point of view. In particular,the following materials are considered satisfactory for thechannel-defining element 10, the shroud 38 and the bottle:

a. all three made of high density polyethylene;

b. all three made of low density polyethylene;

c. all three made of PVC.

After the assembled components shown in FIG. 1 have been fusible againstthe wall 60 of a mold cavity 61 as shown in FIG. 2, the bottle is blowmolded in the usual way. As shown in FIG. 5, the spacing between theridges 22 and 23 is such that a portion 73 of the blow-molded material66 of the container closes in the channel defined by the ridges 22 and23 and results in the formation of an upper tube 64 and a lower tube 65.The ridges 22 and 23 are not spaced so far apart that the portion 73 ofthe blow-molded material 66 enters and occupied the space between theridges. Where only the ridges 22 and 23 are made of a material fusiblewith the material 66 of the container 67, bonding will take place onlyalong the areas of contact between the ridges 22 and 23 and thecontainer 67. Where the entire channel-defining element is formed fromthe same fusible material, of course, bonding between the container 67and the channel-defining element 10 will take place at all areas ofcontact. The pins 54 registering with the holes 55 will have their endsbonded to the material of the container 67 at the time of blow molding.Again, where the shroud 38 is entirely made of the same fusiblematerial, bonding will take place at all areas of contact.

The ridges 22 and 23 merge with each other not only at the top end 68,but at the bottom end 69 of the channel-defining element 10, and becauseof this, the tubes 64 and 65 defined between the bases 16 and 18, theridges 22 and 23, and the material of the container 67 will closed attheir extreme ends. The construction of the projection 24, however, issuch that the tube 64 formed along the first channel-defining portion 16will be in communication with the cylinder 50 and the nozzle 52.

Subsequent to the blow-molding step, it is necessary to pierce thecontainer wall (inside wall) of the lower portion of the tube 65, sothat the liquid for which the container 67 is intended can have access,along the lower tube 65 to the aperture 13, and thence into the pump 26.The piercing step is preferably made by a heat-piercing tool 70 (shownin FIG. 3), which creates two aligned holes, one in the base 18 and onein the portion 73 of the container material 66 which forms a part of thetube 65. Next, the outer hole is closed by heat fusing in theconventional way. The the container which results from these steps isshown in FIG. 3, and it will be seen that the outer surfaces of the base18, of the rectangular parts 45 of the shroud 38, and of the neck 48 ofthe shroud 38, are flush with the wall of the container 67. Projectingoutwardly from the container wall is the upstanding portion 28 and thecylinder 50.

It will now be appreciated that the method of this invention provides ablow-molded container with a spraying accessory which includes a pumpadapted to be finger operated, a spraying nozzle and the appropriatefeed tubes.

The container resulting from the method of this invention is thuscapable both of spraying its contents from the cylinder 50 and ofpouring the contents from the mouth 72 in the usual way.

What I claim is:

1. For incorporation into a blow-molded bottle, the combination of:

an integral channel-defining element comprising a plate portion havingtwo spaced-apart apertures therethrough,

a first and a second channel-defining portion each extending away fromthe plate portion and each having a base and two outstandingspaced-apart ridges, the bases of the channel-defining portions joiningthe plate portion, the ridges of the first channel-defining portionextending across the plate portion to enclose one aperture, the ridgesof the second channel-defining portion extending across the plateportion to enclose the other aperture,

and a pump adapted to be positioned against the plate portion remotefrom said ridges and to pump fluid from said other aperture to said oneaperture.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the pump is an integralresilient body forming a recess which is adapted to be placed againstthe plate portion to define therewith a chamber into which bothapertures open, the integral resilient body having a first and a secondpartition each extending toward the plate portion and each having anedge adapted to rest resiliently against the plate portion between thetwo apertures, thereby to divide the chamber into a first compartmentcommunicating with said one aperture, a second compartment communicatingwith said other aperture, and a third compartment communicating withsaid other aperture, and a third compartment between the two partitions,the first partition defining an acute angle with the surface of saidplate portion in said third compartment, the second partition definingan acute angle with the surface of said plate portion in said secondcompartment, whereby resilient deformation of the integral resilientbody to increase and decrease the volume of said third compartment pumpsfluid from said second compartment through said third compartment tosaid first compartment.

3. The invention claimed in claim 2, which further includes a shroudadapted to maintain the pump against the plate portion, the plateportion having holes outwardly adjacent the outline of the pump, theshroud having integral pins adapted to register in said holes, the pinsbeing of a material fusible with the plastic wall upon contact when thematerial of the plastic wall is in a state suitable for blow molding.

4. The invention claimed in claim 3, in which the first channel-definingportion has at its end remote from the plate portion a nozzle extendingaway from the base remotely from the ridges, the base having a portbetween the ridges communicating with the nozzle.

5. The invention claimed in claim 4, in which the ends of the ridges ofthe first channel-defining portion remote from the plate portion arejoined and enclose said port, and in which the ends of the ridges of thesecond channel-defining portion remote from the plate portion arejoined.

1. For incorporation into a blow-molded bottle, the combination of: anintegral channel-defining element comprising a plate portion having twospaced-apart apertures therethrough, a first and a secondchannel-defining portion each extending away from the plate portion andeach having a base and two outstanding spaced-apart ridges, the bases ofthe channel-defining portions joining the plate portion, the ridges ofthe first channeldefining portion extending across the plate portion toenclose one aperture, the ridges of the second channel-defining portionextending across the plate portion to enclose the other aperture, and apump adapted to be positioned against the plate portion remote from saidridges and to pump fluid from said other aperture to said one aperture.2. The invention claimed in claim 1, in which the pump is an integralresilient body forming a recess which is adapted to be placed againstthe plate portion to define therewith a chamber into which bothapertures open, the integral resilient body having a first and a secondpartition each extending toward said plate portion and each having anedge adapted to rest resiliently against the plate portion between thetwo apertures, thereby to divide the chamber into a first compartmentcommunicating with said one aperture, a second compartment communicatingwith said other aperture, and a third compartment between the twopartitions, the first partition defining an acute angle with the surfaceof said plate portion in said third compartment, the second partitiondefining an acute angle with the surface of said plate portion in saidsecond compartment, whereby resilient deformation of the integralresilient body to increase and decrease the volume of said thirdcompartment pumps fluid from said second compartment through said thirdcompartment to said first compartment.
 3. The invention claimed in claim2, which further includes a shroud adapted to maintain the pump againstthe plate portion, the plate portion having holes outwardly adjacent theoutline of the pump, the shroud having integral pins adapted to registerin said holes, the pins being of a material fusible with the plasticwall upon contact when the material of the plastic wall is in a statesuitable for blow molding.
 4. The invention claimed in claim 3, in whichthe first channel-defining portion has at its end remote from the plateportion a nozzle extending away from the base remotely from the ridges,the base having a port between the ridges communicating with the nozzle.5. The invention claimed in claim 4, in which the ends of the ridges ofthe first channel-defining portion remote from the plate portion arejoined and enclose said port, and in which the ends of the ridges of thesecond channel-defining portion remote from the plate portion arejoined.